Backyard Oasis

Balcony gardens can be as lush and as colorful as any backyard garden. They also have the added benefit of having a secret hideaway feel nestled on the side of an apartment or tucked along a city street. And having your own garden paradise right outside you sliding doors is so convenient.
photo credit: Ingorrr

You may want to add a mini garden to your balcony this year. It’s really quite simple to do and can be set up and planted in a few hours. By adding planter boxes and a few hanging basket you can change the atmosphere of the balcony, add new color and supply fresh vegetables to your table.

Supplies for your small space balcony garden:

Several long, rectangular planter boxes
Plastic bottoms or trays for the planter boxes
Wired planter-holders and the attachments they come with (screws, etc)
Hanging baskets
Two to three bags of soil
Trowel, for moving soil
Watering can or large empty plastic bottles
Plant food or liquid fertilizer
Flowers or vegetable plants or seed packets

First prepare the planter boxes. Make sure they are clean. I usually rinse them with vinegar to make sure they are disinfected. Make sure there are holes in the planters for drainage and if there are not, carefully make three or four holes.

Place soil mix in planters up to one inch from the top. Dig holes for the plants and plant according to space needed for the plants. Usually the planting marker will give you this information. If you are planting seeds lightly pat the soil and place seeds on top, then cover with ¼ to ½ inch soil depending on the seeds you planted. The seed packet will give you planting depth and seed spacing.

Attach the wired planter holders to the sides of your balcony then place your boxes in them once they are secure. Double-check this step. Planters weigh more when full so make sure the planters will stay in place. The planter holders usually come with screws or an illustration for attaching the planters securely. Make sure to place plastic bottoms or trays under the planters to catch excess water. You may also decide you want to set them on the balcony floor instead.

Fill and plant the hanging baskets in the same manner. The advantage of hanging baskets is that they can make use of corner space and space not being used higher on the balcony.
photo credit: crabchick

Now it’s time to water your new garden. A good rule of thumb is to water plants when you feel the soil is beginning to dry. Usually that will be about three days. If you have direct sunlight you may have to water more often.

You can easily grow cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries in the hanging baskets. You may want to add a few flowers for color and variety. Lettuce, radishes, beans, and herbs will grow nicely in the planters. If you have room for a corner container you may want to grow climbing beans, squash, or something fun like miniature pumpkins. Almost any vegetable can be grown in a container. You just need sunlight and room.

My one friend grew corn, gourds, cotton and malabar spinach on her balcony and it was beautiful. She easily grew enough for two people and had fresh cut flowers all summer.

You may want to add potted small trees or vines against the wall of the balcony for more of a backyard oasis feel. Just make sure they will receive enough sun. You can also put up a trellis for plants to grow up. The trellis would have an added benefit of giving you balcony oasis more privacy.

The balcony is an extension of your living space and by adding plants and a garden you will give a more spacious feel to your home and balcony garden area.